RADIO
It’s hard to believe we’re through two full calendar months of the season, but here we are. The contenders have begun to separate themselves from the pretenders in both real life and fantasy, but with two thirds of the season left to play there’s still time to make up ground.
This week’s theme is certainly youth with names like Brandon Nimmo, Franmil Reyes and Dennis Santana among those worthy of closer inspection. Nimmo in particular is a player who should continue to see an uptick in ownership as his solid plate skills and power-speed combo are highly sought after in the fantasy game.
Here are this week’s waiver wire watch list adds and a few who have graduated from the ranks.
Players to watch in 10-team leagues
Kyle Barraclough (RP, MIA) - 45% owned
Brad Ziegler out, Barraclough in? Manager Don Mattingly has seemingly grown tired of Ziegler’s recent lackluster performance, and Barraclough could be the beneficiary. It’s not set in stone (Drew Steckenrider also could see some closer duties) but this is a situation to monitor in shallow leagues if you’re in need of some saves. Barraclough has been lights out with a 1.48 ERA, but be wary of his 4.06 xFIP - he’s stranded 90.5% of baserunners and has a minute .130 BABIP, both of which are due for regression.
Brandon Nimmo (OF, NYM) - 55% owned
While everything in Queens is seemingly going up in flames - quite literally at times - Nimmo continues to impress, to the point where he could soon be a viable option in the most shallow of leagues. Over the past seven days, Nimmo has notched a pair of homers and steals to go along with eight runs and five RBI. His ability to get on base (.429 OBP) will afford him plenty of chances to hit atop the Mets lineup going forward.
Seranthony Dominguez (RP, PHI) - 36% owned
In this space last week Dominguez was basically universally unowned, but a lot has changed. He hasn’t yet been tasked with ninth inning duties but he still hasn’t given up a run in 11.2 IP and has surrendered just two hits while striking out 13. Current closer Hector Neris is far from trustworthy these days, so Dominguez should be paid particularly close attention to.
Players to watch in 12-team leagues
Max Stassi (C, HOU) - 15% owned
Stassi has been tearing the cover off the ball all season (.303/.367/.562 in 89 AB) and he’ll get a chance to take over behind the plate for the next week or so as Brian McCann occupies a spot on the disabled list. Stassi’s specialty is crushing lefthanders; while he has four of his five homers against righties, he’s 16-of-32 against lefties with a 1.324 OPS. McCann isn’t exactly a spring chicken, so Stassi should continue to see some starts even after the veteran backstop returns.
Franmil Reyes (OF, SD) - 15% owned
The Padres have a glut of young outfielders and Reyes is the latest to make a splash on the big stage. After a quiet first week on the scene Reyes has exploded for home runs in each of his last three games heading into Thursday night’s slate. He’ll hurt you in batting average but his power is legit - he was leading the minor leagues in home runs prior to his call-up. As we said last week, he could be the odd man out once everyone is healthy but he’s sure to get another shot at some point even if he gets sent back down to Triple-A.
Devin Mesoraco (C, NYM) - 19% owned
The new-ish Mets catcher has seen his ownership rise 20 percentage points in the last week and a half, but despite his continued hot hitting (5 HR, 11 RBI, 11 R in the last 30 days) he’s set to split time with Kevin Plawecki, who recently returned from a stint on the DL. Mesoraco still could hold value in two-catcher formats or leagues with daily lineup changes, however.
Players to watch in deeper leagues (14-team or AL/NL only)
Nathan Eovaldi (SP, TB) - 9% owned
The flamethrowing Eovaldi missed all of 2017 after undergoing Tommy John surgery but he was in fine form Wednesday versus Oakland, throwing six innings of no-hit ball before being removed on a pitch count. He’s never quite figured out how to put hitters away, but with this type of velocity (he can reach triple-digits regularly) he’s hard to ignore. He’s a solid deep league speculative play.
Dennis Santana (RP, LAD) - 2% owned
A top-10 Dodgers prospect, Santana was recalled to potentially replace Kenta Maeda in the rotation this weekend so it’s unclear whether he’ll stick around, but he’s an intriguing name nonetheless. Santana has posted a 2.54 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A with 65 punchouts in just 49.2 IP, which makes him a must-watch.
Frankie Montas (RP, OAK) - 9% owned
After a miserable 2017 with the Athletics, Montas began this season in the minors but was summoned to start last Sunday against the Diamondbacks and he was efficient. Montas went six innings, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while fanning seven, and followed that up with 8 innings of shutout ball Friday night against the Royals. If he can keep the walks in check, he has the raw stuff to be a successful hurler in the big leagues.
Max Muncy (1B/3B/OF, LAD) - 7% owned
The 27-year-old Muncy is getting a chance to play and he’s cashed in so far with seven home runs and 19 RBI in 35 games for the Dodgers. Muncy has always posted solid walk rates in the minor leagues and that’s carried over here (13.4%). He’s also been smoking the baseball with a 47% hard contact rate. Even after the Dodgers get fully healthy, Muncy’s power stroke, patient approach and positional versatility should afford him plenty of opportunities to get into the lineup.
Dylan Cozens (OF, PHI) - 1% owned
Cozens could probably power a small town with the wind he generates (38.3% strikeout rate in Triple-A) but his power is undeniable. Cozens smashed 40 homers back in 2016 in Double-A and followed that up with 27 last year in Triple-A. He was recalled on Thursday to replace Rhys Hoskins on the active roster and profiles as a bench player initially, but he could end up seeing some at-bats in a reserve role. Anyone with this type of power should be monitored closely.
Graduates
Ross Stripling (SP/RP, LAD) - 69% owned
Stripling has officially put himself into shallow league starter territory with his recent performances as he’s amassed 28 strikeouts over his last three starts while allowing just two earned runs. The fact that he’s eligible at SP and RP enhances his value tremendously.
Jesus Aguilar (1B, MIL) - 70% owned
Here’s another guy whose ownership rate has skyrocketed over the last few weeks. Aguilar has killed it over the last 14 days with six homers and 16 RBI while hitting .304. He should be a fixture in Milwaukee’s lineup going forward.
